PM Modi wanted 400 seats in LS as BJP planned to amend Constitution: Pawar

NCP (SP) chief Sharad Pawar on Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi was seeking 400 seats in the Lok Sabha elections as "his eyes were on the Constitution of India."  Opposition sensed that the BJP wanted to attack democracy and hence it came together, he said, speaking at a campaign rally at Bhosari near here ahead of the Maharashtra assembly elections.

"During the Lok Sabha polls, prime minister Narendra Modi was seeking 400 seats for the BJP. We were surprised because 300 to 350 seats for a party is considered a good majority. We went a little deeper and realised that he wanted 400 MPs because his eyes were on the Constitution of India written by Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar," Pawar said.

The Opposition suspected that the BJP wanted to tamper with the Constitution and restrict the common people's rights, he added.

"We then brought together all key leaders including Sonia Gandhi, Rahul Gandhi, myself, Arvind Kejriwal, Uddhav Thackeray, Akhilesh Yadav, and decided to fight together against the impending attack on democracy," the veteran politician said.

He was proud that the people of Maharashtra gave the Opposition Maha Vikas Aghadi 31 out of 48 Lok Sabha seats in the state and thwarted a possible attack on the Constitution, Pawar added.